Evolution of Wind Resource

Posted by Emma Rieves5sc on February 23, 2017

GreenByte recently released their “Evolution of Wind” infographic that illustrates the changes in global wind capacity from 1981 t0 2016. According to the time-lapse visualization, global wind power capacity has risen 11%, from 432.4 GW in 2015 to 486.7 GW in 2016. United States wind capacity increased 10% from 73,991 MW in 2015 to 82,184 MW in 2016.

With a capacity over 82,000 MW, wind energy is now the largest renewable resource by installed generating capacity in the United States (and the fourth largest national electricity generator overall), and produces more energy than hydroelectric’s 80,000 MW capacity. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor just listed wind turbine technician as the fastest growing job in the United States, with an expected 108% increase over a decade. Wind energy already employs more than 100,000 people in the United States, more than in nuclear, coal, natural gas, or hydroelectric plants, and that number is expected to grow to 380,000 by 2030.